Orthodontics

At Advanced Dental Arts NW, we are extensively trained in occlusion and dental and facial esthetics in order to move you toward your orthodontic goal quickly. Dr. Teasdale has studied both conventional braces and Invisalign®, and is comfortable in providing whichever method is more efficient to achieve your ideal endpoint. Our nearly two decades as an orthodontic provider, plus our extensive background in Esthetic Dentistry and Minimally Invasive Dentistry, give us a perspective available to few practitioners anywhere.

If you have been told:

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You need to have teeth extracted to have your teeth straightened.

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You will have to wear headgear.

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TMJ and grinding are not related to your bite.

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Your teeth are too big for your arch.

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Braces are your only option.

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You will need to wear a retainer for the rest of your life.

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Straight teeth are not related to whole-body diseases.

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You are too old to benefit from straight teeth.

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You are not a candidate for Invisalign®.

...then we need to talk.

At Advanced Dental Arts NW, we look beyond the front teeth, because the long-term success of each case depends more on the position of the back teeth and how they fit and function. It is relatively easy to do a quick fix on the front teeth, but if the bite is ignored, the chances are great that the teeth will shift back to where they were.

Properly addressing the position of the back teeth has great short- and long-term benefits. For one thing, a balanced arch is largely self-supporting, with each tooth touching its neighbors in exactly the correct position, so there is less likelihood of the bad bite returning. For another, teeth that are solidly interlocked in a tight bite tend to lead to grinding, clenching, and TMJ problems. We work to free up the bite so that the jaws can slide freely and easily across each other.

That is why we plan and revise each of our Invisalign® cases an average of nearly seven times before we are happy with the esthetic and functional results, and why we monitor the movement of your teeth regularly. It's also why we are comfortable standing by our fee as the ONLY fee you will pay—including, if necessary, refinements. Finally, it is why we achieve such consistently great results at Advanced Dental Arts NW.

At Advanced Dental Arts NW, with the expertise of cosmetic dentistry care and with respect for the interconnection of muscles, TMJ, and the bite, our approach to comprehensive orthodontics is firmly founded in sound dental science, augmented by decades of observation and analysis, as well as the essentials of facial aesthetics.

Simply put, we love broad, happy smiles with well-supported lips and full lower face height, comfortable joints, relaxed muscles without grinding, and teeth arranged to last a lifetime.

Fixing More Than the Front Teeth

When it comes to getting teeth straightened, most patients are concerned that the end result looks even and symmetrical, a so-called "Front End Alignment" of the “Social Six” teeth, from Canine to Canine. In reality, that is the easy part. However, we are far more concerned with the how ALL the teeth fit together, how they work as a team instead of fighting each other.

Fixing Misaligned Teeth

The worst part of having crooked or misaligned teeth is not what you see, although that is most frequently why people are motivated to have their teeth straightened. The problem is much more serious than what you present to others in a social situation. Misaligned teeth lead directly to a multitude of problems, including gum and bone support issues, grinding and clenching, Tempro-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction (or "TMJ pain"), cracking and ditching of the teeth themselves near the gum line, head and neck pain, and broken teeth. There are other, less direct, ailments associated with poorly positioned teeth, including diabetes, obesity, and heart and circulatory problems.

Crooked teeth are not something to be taken lightly. It is a disease that progresses throughout life, and can have a major impact on your life, beyond simple cosmetics and discomfort.

We are concerned about how relaxed and comfortable the muscles are, about the symmetry of the face, about how well the teeth themselves will work in that arrangement, and about how long the result will stay. In the process, because we put the teeth where Nature originally intended them, we achieve a natural, beautiful, comfortable, and radiant smile.

Teeth Grinding & Clenching

A great many people have jaw clenching and teeth grinding issues, and many may not even realize it. At Advanced Dental Arts NW, we look for the tell-tale signs, such as flattened tooth surfaces, loose teeth, chipped tooth structure, little divots from the teeth near the gum line, facial asymmetries with the lower jaw, muscle tension, or TMJ issues. Most of these conditions are caused by how the teeth fit together. Because these symptoms develop slowly—sometimes over several years—individuals may not even recognize that there is a problem with their bite.

At Advanced Dental Arts NW, we treat teeth grinding and jaw clenching problems comprehensively and conservatively. Treatment could be something as minor as adjusting one spot on a single tooth, or it may require more involved treatment, using computers to pinpoint the timing and force of each tooth during a bite.

Why Invisalign®?

This is why we are so enthusiastic about Invisalign®, which enables us to work to an endpoint that we can see before we start—to literally "begin with the end in mind." And because we have such vast experience and expertise with the system, we recognize what is possible and we work to get there as quickly and as comfortably as possible, without compromise.

We are also very happy to provide exceptionally rapid orthodontic care, to cut the length of treatments like Invisalign® to less than a third of the original time. Ask us about Propel, Acceledent, and Pro V5, and how they can help you complete your orthodontic treatment in far less time.

Whatever the specific need, we treat to the genesis of it and not merely to the symptoms, so that you receive the treatment you need to feel healthier and more energetic, and can thus better enjoy life!